Father Pat McGrath, S.J.
Pastor at Old St. Patrick's Church
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Rev. Pat McGrath has been a presiding priest at Old St. Pat’s since his ordination, which was held here on Saturday, July 29, 2006. He celebrated his first Mass at Old St. Pat’s on July 30, 2006 at the 9:30 a.m. service. In 2000, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and professed his perpetual vows in 2002. As a Jesuit, he has lived and worked in Detroit, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. His first assignment after his ordination was as a provincial assistant for Secondary Education, which allowed him to work with the five Jesuit high schools of the Chicago Province. In March of 2006, Fr. McGrath was elected as the president of Loyola Academy, Chicago, and served in this position for 13 years. On July 31st, 2022, Father Pat McGrath, S.J. was installed as the 18th Pastor of Old St. Patrick’s Church.
Administrative Assistant to Pastor:
Polly Mulhearn
312.831.9377
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In Residence:
Fr. John J. Wall
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312.648.1021
A lifetime Chicagoan, Fr. Wall was ordained at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary on May 2, 1968, after receiving his MA, STL in Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. From 1968 to 1972, Fr. Wall was the associate pastor of St. Ita’s Parish in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. He also served on the faculty of Niles College and the Seminary of Loyola University from 1972 to 1979. In addition, Fr. Wall was the vocation director for the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1979 to 1985. In October 1983, Fr. Wall became pastor of Old St. Patrick’s Church, the second parish founded in the city of Chicago and the city’s oldest public building. Since taking on his role as pastor, Fr. Wall has successfully revitalized this urban church. He is now pastor emeritus of Old St. Patrick’s Church and president of the Catholic Extension Society. Father Wall continues to preside at Old St. Patrick’s Church.
Visiting Priests:
Fr. John Cusick
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312.648.1021
Fr. Cusick, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago was ordained in 1970. After his ordination, he served as associate pastor of Mary, Seat of Wisdom Parish in Park Ridge, Illinois. From 1977 to 1985, he was a faculty member of Niles College of Loyola University, the college seminary program for the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a faculty member, he taught Theology, was a residence hall director, and for five years (1980 to 1985) was the director of recruitment and admissions for the college seminary. Since 1985, he has been the director of the Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He authoredFirst Steps—a Guide to Encourage Young Men to Consider the Catholic Priesthood. He co-authored (along with his colleague, Kate DeVries)The Basic Guide to Young Adult Ministry. In May 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Fr. John Cusick to the Executive Ethics Commission of the State of Illinois. Fr. Cusick regularly presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church Masses.
Fr. Ed Foley, OFM, CAP
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312.648.1021
Edward Foley, Capuchin is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order. The Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and Retired Professor of Liturgy and Music at Catholic Theological Union, he was the founding director of the Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry degree jointly offered by Catholic Theological Union, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary. An award winning author and celebrated preacher, he has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from national and international organizations and is a recent recipient of a major grant for preaching from the John Templeton Foundation. He also serves his Capuchin community as the Vice-Postulator for the Canonization cause for Blessed Solanus Casey. He preaches and presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago.
Fr. Paul Novak, OSM
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312.648.1021
Fr. Paul Novak, O.S.M. was ordained a Servite prieston May 26,1990, at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago. From 1990 to 1992, he served as associate pastor at St. Domitilla Church in Hillside. Fr. Novak was the vocationdirectorfor the Order of Friar Servants of Mary(Servites) from 1992 to 1994. In the fall of1994, Fr. Novak joined the faculty of De La Salle Institute asthe campus minister and religion teacher and served there until 2003 when he was elected assistant provincial for the Servite Friars. In August 2008,Fr. Paul Novak was appointed president of De La Salle Institute, Chicago. Fr. Novak regularly presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church Masses.
Fr. William (Bill) O’Shea
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312.648.1021
Rev. William O’Shea has been a visiting priest for Old St. Pat’s Church since 2007. He was ordained on May 25, 1963, and celebrated his first Mass at his home parish, St. Philip Neri in South Shore, Chicago. He has known about Old St. Pat’s since the 1960’s when he would visit a classmate assigned here. Additionally, he was a classmate of Rev. Jack Wall and Rev. John Cusick in the Doctor of Ministry program facilitated by John Shea in the late 70’s.For 44 years, he served as a priest in the Diocese of Joliet, teaching at both Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst and Rosary College in River Forest. Most recently, he served for 14 years as pastor of St. Margaret Mary in Naperville, which was included in the list of 300 Excellent Catholic Parishes in the United States along with Old St. Pat’s. He feels fortunate to have been invited to celebrate the Sunday Eucharist at Old St. Pat’s.
Fr. Joe Simmons, S.J.
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312.648.1021
Fr. Joe Simmons, S.J. serves as assistant professor of systematic theology at his alma mater, Marquette University. Fr. Simmons enjoys reading, laughing, and helping students wrestle with the big questions. His first summer assignment as a priest was at St. Procopius in Pilsen (2017), followed by working with Fr. Pat McGrath at Loyola Academy (2018).Prior to Marquette, Simmons was a research fellow at Georgetown’s Berkley Center for
Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, coordinating seminars on theology, art, literature, and the environment for Georgetown and Campion Hall (University of Oxford, where he completed his doctorate). His field of academic study is theology and literature, exploring the imaginations of writers “bothered by God”. His doctoral dissertation, “Attunements to Grace in the Fiction of Virginia Woolf and Marilynne Robinson” argues that even self-described atheists like Virginia Woolf raise theological questions for believers and non-believers alike. He is currently teaching a course on the writings of C.S. Lewis.Though he’s a regular presider at Gesu Parish in Milwaukee, he lovescelebrating with the community at Old St. Pat’s.
Fr. Jayme Stayer, S.J.
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312.648.1021
Fr. Jayme Stayer is a Jesuit priest andprofessorat Loyola University Chicago. He holds a double degree in music and literature from the University of Notre Dame, an MA and a PhD in English literature from the University of Toledo, and an MDiv from Boston College. Previously, he has held faculty posts at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Universidad Centroamericana in El Salvador, and John Carroll University. His scholarly work ranges overthe fields of rhetoric, music, and modernism. Most of his publications are on T. S. Eliot, and he is past president of the International T. S. Eliot Society.A former professional singer, he has performed with the choruses of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and the Cleveland Orchestra. He joined the Jesuits in 2003 and was ordained a priest in 2013.He presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago.
Reverend Monsignor Kenneth Velo
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312.648.1021
Monsignor Kenneth Velo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, serves as Senior Executive of Catholic Collaboration for DePaul University and as President of the Big Shoulders Fund.Monsignor was ordained in 1973 and appointed to St. Angela Parish in Chicago. In 1980, he was appointed to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. In the following years, he served in various administrative positions, including vice chancellor of the Archdiocese and executive assistant to Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. In November 1993, Monsignor Velo was named president of the Catholic Church Extension Society, a national organization which raises funds and awareness for Mission dioceses in the United States. In March of 1996, he was named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness with the title of Monsignor. In 2001, he began his responsibilities at DePaul University. At DePaul, Monsignor helps to extend the services of the university to the Catholic community and other entities.The Big Shoulders Fund, of which he serves as president, supports inner-city Catholic Schools in Chicago which raises funds for inner-city Catholic schools. Monsignor enjoys serving in pastoral ministry at Old Saint Patrick Church.
